Hello all,

I’ve had a rough and tough time juggling lots of things of late, so I apologise for not having many workshops in the pipeline. We’ve been keeping check with zine participators though and getting the zine distributed around the city – alongside posting to locations in America and Ireland. Thanks gals!!! 

If anyone else would like to stock the zine i’m happy to send to you too. To contributors of the zine – now that you’ll have received your zines in the post, it’d be really great to hear your thoughts and how you feel the final piece looks and feels, and how you’d have done things differently had you put the thing together yourself. I feel that there’s room for collaborating further in the next one in terms of pagination and the order in which things flow throughout. I’ve also considered releasing individual zines based on the repeating themes or medium in which they were submitted (i.e. all poetry in one zine, all stories in another etc…)

We were honored to be asked, by the amazingly talented Chella Quint, to sell some zines at the Mork and Mind improv event, at the Theatre Delicatessen in Sheffield on the 21st of July. The 21st July is the birthday of Robin Williams who was a well known improviser, and well loved comedian. The event was created to raise money for the mental health charity, Mind. We donated 10 of our zines to help raise money for the evening. So thank you to everyone who helped raise money and awareness. They raised an amazing £350, and thanks to Chella for thinking of us. 

The next workshop that we’ll be taking part in / hosting crafty activity is with Sarah of Edge Of the Universe for their project We Can Be Heroes – An exhibition of art and writing created by young people in South Yorkshire. DoS will be collaborating on to deliver a Mexican paper craft workshop, with the wonderful and super awesome Charly Calpin of Free Hand Creative Evenings. We really can’t wait to just hang out with those amazing lasses and work with all ages to deliver a fun day for all 🙂 

So why have I been out of touch? 
It’s helped me to compile a list of why I’ve been feeling pretty rough and somewhat overwhelmed. I’ve had quite a few things going on to make me feel extreme highs and lows, and inevitably make me feel a little bit sick! I think I often feel that others find it easier to cope with these things, but I’m most likely over thinking things and wrong in this assumption. I’ve been doing pretty well recently but have found myself having to justify feelings of being dazed and confused!

-having to have an interview for my job
-losing my job (on the same day)
-applying for a subsequent 2 additional jobs 
-having 3 interviews in the space of 1 week.
-having to create a physical design portfolio in under 1 week
-getting an amazing job within this period! Huzzah!
-buying a house – exchanging money etc etc… Hooray!
-arranging to move house (we get the keys very soon!)
-picking up great illustration jobs (that I’d be silly to turn down 🙂 )
-practicing for 2 gigs in 2 bands (in very short period of time)
-extreme nerves throughout this period! 
-feeling extremely socially awkward throughout
-trouble sleeping / spooky night terrors
-giving up drinking altogether – this has been harder than I have thought since I usually drink to calm nerves… But it’ll all be good for me in the long term!

It’s been really cathartic making this list, I don’t even really mind that nobody cares – it’s just to demonstrate the process, it matters because it makes me realise why I’ve been feeling a bit like a wiggly line. I’m going to get on top of looking after myself now by continuing to run, drinking plenty of water and trying to say no to things when I genuinely don’t have the time to do them properly. I don’t feel like I can deliver good workshops with no money and things all up in the air. 

What I will do though is post the zine to absolutely anyone who wants one – they’re only £3, I’ll include the postage with this cost. So please do get in touch with any orders. If you can’t afford the £3 I’ll take any donation whatsoever, just so I can put it towards renting space or producing more zines.